I'll Be Gone
by Mystical Chipmunk
Summary: *StormClan challenge* When the lights go out and we open our eyes, out there in the silence I'll be gone...


**Challenge for StormClan. Tell me if you understand the meaning of this story. Er...symbolism? :P**

**I'll Be Gone is by Linkin Park, not me. x3**

Like shining oil

This night is dripping down

Stars are slipping down

Glistening

And I'm trying not to think of what I'm leaving now...

No deceiving now, it's time you let me know...

OoO

Frostpaw kept her eyes locked on the gray tom in front of her, her eyes blazing. Oh, how she hated that tom. He was so arrogant! She tried being nice to him once, and what did he do? He ignored her and gave her a disgusted look. She had saved his sorry pelt from being yelled at by their mentors! Talk about ungrateful.

He made fun of her, too. Oh, how she hated that! Teasing her all the time...she wondered if he would ever stop. If only she could attack him, make him think twice before making fun of her again.

"Fox-dung," She growled. "Stupid Kestrelpaw." Frostpaw turned her head away, her paws beginning to shake. She was so angry...

Just the other day he'd made fun of her, and so had his other 'buddy', Grasspaw. That tom followed Kestrelpaw around like a kit with its mother. They'd called her 'Frostkit'. Frostkit! A kit name! That was insulting.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She turned to see her friend, Sunpaw, walking up to her.

"It's just...I hate Kestrelpaw so much! He's so arrogant." Frostpaw kneaded her paws, trying to get rid of the hatred that was boiling in her stomach. "And rude, and mean, and-"

Sunpaw nodded quickly. "Yeah...I hope he doesn't come to the gathering next moon." She said, her voice raising slightly. That told her Sunpaw was lying.

"Ugh!" Frostpaw turned away, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Don't tell me you have a crush on that piece of mouse-dung!"

"Uhh..."

"Oh, come on." Frostpaw rolled her eyes. "I guess I was just wasting my time. I thought friends were for support, but never mind. What do you see in that tom, anyways?"

Sunpaw looked embarrassed. "Shh, I don't want him to know! He's right across the clearing! And he isn't that bad. Just the other day he saved my fur from a bramble thicket."

Frostpaw's eye twitched. "Oh, really? What else did he do?"

"Come on, Frostpaw. You need to calm down. Stop overreacting." Sunpaw purred before walking away.

Frostpaw sighed. The tom liked Sunpaw. That was the only reason why he was acting this way toward her. If it were any other tom, she would have been happy and gossiping with her friend. But now...this was Kestrelpaw.

Kestrelpaw had stolen her friend. Maybe Sunpaw was right. Maybe she was overreacting! Oh, yeah, that would make sense. Even though he'd taunt, prank, and tease her every chance he could get.

"Ugh, whatever." Frostpaw scowled at the ground before standing up to walk toward the apprentice's den. She was tired anyways.

"Going to sleep early, Frostkit?" She heard a voice behind her, and her fur bristled. "Well, it makes sense, kit. Make sure to have sweet dreams about butterflies!" Kestrelpaw sneered.

Frostpaw curled her lip.

She wasn't going to turn around.

She wasn't going to turn around.

She wasn't going to turn around.

She turned, and silently cursed. "What do you want?" She growled.

She saw Grasspaw standing next to Kestrelpaw and rolled her eyes.

"Go to bed, Frostkit. It's your bedtime." Kestrelpaw mocked. "You go sleep in the nursery, remember?"

Frostpaw unsheathed her claws, fury building up inside of her. She turned back around and stomped into the den. She needed to calm down. Wasn't she going to sleep? Yes, that was right! Sleep...

Frostpaw plopped down onto her nest, yawning. She needed to stop thinking about Kestrelpaw. She needed to just ignore him. Once she could do that, he'd most certainly leave her alone...

OoO

Frostpaw opened her eyes slightly. It was still dark, and she sighed. She was becoming more restless each night. She decided to take a small walk, hoping that would help her to sleep.

She climbed out of her nest, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Frostpaw quietly excited the den, completely missing the fact that Kestrelpaw's nest was empty, as were two others.

She crept toward the dirt-place tunnel, intent on sneaking out. She slid through, holding her breath. "Ew..." She whispered.

Frostpaw stepped out into the forest, her eyes adjusting quickly. Moonlight filtered through the trees as she strolled through her territory. She hoped she wouldn't get caught by anyone; she knew that they thought she was asleep.

She enjoyed the fresh air, relishing the coolness. It also seemed to cool her heart, which had been boiling with hate and anger.

"Whatcha doing out here, Frostpaw?" She jumped, and she turned quickly to see Kestrelpaw standing behind her.

"You..." And suddenly, her hatred was back. But this hatred was different. It was not as controlled. She felt like she could do more than endure the tom's taunts and mocking. There was no one watching...plus, there would be no one to stop them...She would probably win, even though he was bigger and stronger than her.

Suddenly, a fire inside of her raged. She felt anger course through her. "Now, Frostkit, is that how you speak to a-"

Frostpaw felt something inside of her snap. She lunged forward. "Enough!" She hissed. Kestrelpaw's eyes widened with surprise.

"What-"

Frostpaw felt her emotions were beginning to bubble and boil. She needed to let them all out. She needed to take them out on the one thing she was receiving them from.

"You arrogant piece of dung!" Frostpaw growled. She brought a paw down on the surprised apprentice, slicing his nose open. This seemed to snap him out of his shock.

"What are you doing?" Kestrelpaw growled. He threw Frostpaw off of him, and she stumbled backwards. "You want to fight? Fine, let's fight." He charged at her, his eyes glowing with the excitement of battle.

Frostpaw was the exact opposite of excited, though. She was furious. She tripped Kestrelpaw, slashing her claws against his flank. He tried to twist out of the way, but he was already landing on the ground with a thud.

She tried to bite, but Kestrelpaw brought a large paw down on her, making her head spin. Frostpaw shook her head and leapt forward, latching onto his paw with her teeth. She tasted blood, and she bit down even more.

Kestrelpaw tried to whack her away again, but she just let go of his paw and ducked. His swing left him open for a moment, and Frostpaw dashed in, sliding her claws down his belly.

Kestrelpaw gasped as more blood spurted out. Frostpaw was satisfied when she saw the blood stain her claws. She took advantage of his momentary surprise, clawing at his eyes.

The tom dodged, and swiped at her side. She felt claws rip through her body, and she tumbled backwards, sliding. She tried to stand up, and then realized how bad a blow it had been.

Blood was pooling around her, matting her fur with blood. She tried to stand again, but the blood was so sticky and heavy. It left a metallic tang in her mouth.

"You piece of-" Frostpaw stopped to cough up blood. "How did...?"

Kestrelpaw purred, his eyes lighting up. "Pathetic! Pathetic! You're just a helpless, pathetic kit!"

Frostpaw swallowed; she felt like she was going to vomit. She did, staining the grass with what she'd eaten and her own blood. She looked at her white fur, which was now matted with blood. But she could see small pieces of...her body went rigid when she recognized that of a deathberry. "Poison?!" She shook. "You cheater!"

"I guess you could say that." He sneered. Frostpaw shook with rage. She stopped, throwing up again. Her body was shaking, and her vision blurred slightly.

"Y-you planned this out?" Frostpaw whispered in a confused panic. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and she saw Grasspaw step out.

"Yes we did. And tomorrow, the Clan will find you, and see that you committed suicide." Grasspaw actually looked proud of himself. She was disgusted.

"You-" Frostpaw paused to throw up. "Deathberry!" She growled. "You poisoned me with deathberry!" She continued to throw up, her stomach emptying. Soon she was just retching blood.

Frostpaw's head became dizzy.

"Good-bye, Frostkit!" She heard Kestrelpaw's mocking purr. But she didn't have any strength to fight back. Frostpaw waited miserably to die. She heard the tom's voice fade out, and she shut her eyes.

OoO

When the lights go out and we open our eyes

Out there in the silence

I'll be gone...

Let the sun fade out and another one rise

Out there in the silence...

I'll be gone...

OoO

"Wake up..." Frostpaw opened her eyes. She had heard a raspy whisper from somewhere.

"Huh?" She wondered out loud. Then her eyes widened. If she'd died, why was she in a dark forest, instead of StarClan? "Mouse-dung!" Frostpaw cursed. "What did I do? Why did I come here?"

"Hello, apprentice." She looked up to see a ginger tabby she-cat approaching her. "Glad you're awake. Come with me." The ginger tabby said sharply. "My name is Ember, and you have been assigned to Squad Three."

"W-what's going on?" The ginger tabby named Ember gave her a look. "I said follow me." There was something about the she-cat that bothered Frostpaw. Then she noticed that Ember was translucent.

Frostpaw stumbled. "Why-why're you-?"

Ember continued walking forward. "If you're not going to follow me, you're going to fade away forever."

The white apprentice didn't like the sound of that. She shut her mouth and followed the ginger tabby. She looked down, and her eyes widened. Her paws were also translucent! She swallowed, looking up, resisting the urge to ask questions.

They walked through the forest, faint light filtering in through the trees. It made Frostpaw wonder if they were really in the Place of No Stars. She couldn't really scent any prey, and the air itself was a bit stuffy.

She saw something up ahead that looked bright in contrast to the rest of the forest. As they came closer, she saw it was a cave. It had a neon orange glow, and she could hear chatter inside.

"Wait here," Ember ordered. She stuck her head in the entrance. "Squad Three! You have a new member! Treat her with respect. And remember not to ask anything!"

Frostpaw heard a muffled response.

Ember turned around. "Go in." She waved her tail. "You are from LeafClan, aren't you?"

Frostpaw nodded. She warily stepped inside the cave. She was surprised to see how laid back it was, compared to Ember. There were several cats napping on ledges, and there was another entrance covered in lichen. She saw a tom open one amber eye. "Hello, new Haunt! I'm Grayleap. Go through the lichen covered entrance please." He closed his eye.

"Um, my name is Frostpaw, not Haunt." She said helpfully.

"That's nice. Go through the entrance." Another tom snapped.

"Calm down; she's new." The first tom spoke sleepily.

Frostpaw walked cautiously toward the second entrance. She heard even more voices. She walked through and into a much larger cavern. There she saw five cats, all of which were organizing patrols. Well, that was what it seemed. They were in the midst of everything, ordering around dozens of cats, seemingly assigning them to patrols. And there were dozens upon dozens of cats milling around; napping, eating, playing. She felt almost overwhelmed.

"Oh, here comes the new one!" Frostpaw looked up to see a gray and brown tortoiseshell sitting on a ledge. "You go over there, with Littlefrost. You two have similar names, don't you?" The she-cat purred. She had a motherly kind of atmosphere to her...

"Uh..." Frostpaw walked over to the she-cat the tortoiseshell had pointed out. "Um, hello. I was sent here?"

"Ah, yes. I'm Littlefrost, and I'm here to help you understand what in the name of StarClan is going on." The white she-cat purred. "So, first-of-all, you have become a Haunt. You need to fulfill your duty as one before going to StarClan."

"So I am going to StarClan?" Frostpaw asked hopefully.

"Yes!" Littlefrost purred. "So, a Haunt is someone who died without getting justice for something or fixing something between a mate, friend, et cetera. For example, I died without justifying something I didn't do. It was quite a while ago, but I still haven't fulfilled what I'm supposed to do."

A worried look crossed Frostpaw's face. "H-how long am I going to stay here?"

"Well..." Littlefrost looked the apprentice in the eye. "Until you find peace, little one." She didn't exactly answer the apprentice's question..."Now! Follow me! See those five cats that resemble deputies? They were assign you, once a day, to a patrol. Every day, for half a day, you will try to find peace. Like what I explained earlier, it may be finding justice for something, or fixing ties between someone."

"You mean, I'll be alive again?" Frostpaw asked, aghast.

"No," Littlefrost's eyes flashed with amusement. "there is a reason why you are called a Haunt. You Haunt whoever it is you must find peace with."

Frostpaw looked down. "W-what if you want revenge?" She asked quietly, thinking of Kestrelpaw.

"Shush," Littlefrost hissed, surprising Frostpaw. "You must never speak of that." She leaned in closely. "Some do," She murmured. "but they never tell anyone. No one is ever proud of wanting revenge. If that is what you seek, I will not judge. But keep in mind that you will have a much slimmer chance of going to StarClan."

Then she straightened.

"That's enough for today. Go get some rest. Your denmates will wake you when it's your turn on a patrol."

Frostpaw looked around at the large cage that was milling with cats. "Where do I sleep?" She asked.

"Most sleep down there." Littlefrost pointed her tail down a tunnel, and Frostpaw nodded.

"Okay. Thank you." Then she headed down the tunnel. She found herself in a smaller cave, which was also full of cats. These ones were sleeping though. She heard light snores and purrs, and it reminded her of her Clan. Grief and regret made her paws tremble. She already missed sleeping in her camp. She'd never realized how fortunate she had been.

Had.

Frostpaw found a small, comfortable spot in a corner, and she curled up into a little ball. She shut her eyes, hoping for sleep. Luckily, it came quickly.

OoO

The air between us is getting thinner now; into winter now.

Bittersweet.

And across that horizon the sun is setting down.

And you're forgetting now, it's time to let me go...

OoO

A paw shook Frostpaw awake. She saw Littlefrost, and her eyes widened. "Oh, is it time?" She whispered, careful not to wake anyone up.

The she-cat nodded. Frostpaw got up and followed Littlefrost. They walked down an inclined part of the cave, making their way to the center. The five cats were still there, organizing patrols of five cats each.

"Frostpaw, Sunheart, Goldenflame, Birdkit, and Ivypaw." A black tom called. "Over here, Patrol Two." He waved his tail. Frostpaw and four others padded toward the tom. His icy blue eyes swept over all of them. He stopped at Frostpaw. "You're new," He nodded at her. "There are a few things you should know about being a Haunt and going into the living realm."

Frostpaw nodded. "Yes?"

"First off, you do not follow the other four. What they do is private, unless they willingly share information. Do only what you came there for. Once time is up, I will come to get you. The living cannot hear or see you. You cannot walk on solid ground, but you should be careful; try not to, even accidentally, move or knock anything over." The black tom stepped out of the way. "That is all. Now, I'd like you to step forward."

All five of them did so, and Frostpaw felt herself getting dizzy. Then her eyelids slid shut, and she fell unconscious. When she woke up, she found herself in the her Clan's camp. "Oh!" She remembered that she only had half a day, so she set off to find Kestrelpaw. The sun hadn't risen yet, so he was probably out in the woods.

She tasted bile as she remembered what he and Grasspaw had done. It made her sick just thinking about it. What were they doing now? Hiding her body? Or setting up clues to show that she'd 'committed suicide'?

She looked down, awed by the fact that was just off the ground. It was almost like she was flying! Frostpaw shook her head, trying not to get distracted. She began to run, sprinting through the forest to where she had died. She unsheathed her claws when she spotted her body, Kestrelpaw, and Grasspaw.

"You should've been the one to die..." She growled. Then she stopped. How could she do anything if the living couldn't see or hear her?

She remembered what the black tom had said earlier. She could move things, right? Just slightly...

Frostpaw looked at her body, and at the smashed deathberries near her mouth. She could move them! She could change what Kestrelpaw and Grasspaw had done.

Frostpaw wanted to freak Kestrelpaw out, though. That'd be a treat. So she waited for him to turn back to look at the berries again. She moved forward, trying to nudge some of the smashed deathberries around. She purred slightly when she succeeded in shifting them slightly. It smeared over the tip of Grasspaw's tail, and he jumped.

The tom turned around, his eyes widening. "Did she just move?"

Kestrelpaw backed away. "She can't still be alive! And I can't touch her anymore. My scent may be fading, but I need to be careful."

"We should just hide her body. Maybe we can drown her in the stream." Grasspaw suggested.

Frostpaw scowled. "You disgust me." She had no idea that they'd ever go this far. Why did Kestrelpaw hate her so much, anyways?

"That's just outside our territory. Don't you think someone would be suspicious?" Kestrelpaw growled. He looked up. "Fox-dung. The sun's rising."

Frostpaw's eyes glinted. She ran forward, slamming into Kestrelpaw. Well, she passed right through him. She wondered if she could try to get her scent onto him. She shook her head, deciding to try something else.

Quickly, she scaled a tree, doing her best not to fall. She had never really climbed one before, so it was difficult at first. She soon got the hang of it, and she managed to get to the first branch. Frostpaw rustled the leaves, making as much noise as possible. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get the apprentices' attention. She relished the look on their faces.

"Who-who's there?" Kestrelpaw hissed.

Frostpaw dragged her claws across the bark, managing to make a light scraping noise. Her eyes glinted with satisfaction.

"Hurry, we need to get back to camp!" Grasspaw hissed. "I managed to clear all of the scents away, so no one will become suspicious of us. It'll smell like wild onion."

Kestrelpaw nodded, and the two sprinted back to the camp. Frostpaw growled. She cautiously climbed down the tree before running after the apprentices. She saw them sneak through the dirtplace tunnel and creep back to the apprentice's den.

Frostpaw held her head up high, padding through the main entrance. "Ha," She muttered. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon, and she knew Kestrelpaw would have to get up soon.

She decided that she wouldn't let him fall asleep, even though he'd been up all night. Frostpaw padded over to the apprentice's den. She stuck her head in, watching as Kestrelpaw carefully sank into his nest. He was about to close his eyes.

Frostpaw ran in, going through multiple sleeping cats. "Oh, no you don't." She hissed. She batted the tom's bedding, making a rustling sound near his ear. He jumped, waking up Sunpaw.

Frostpaw froze. Oh no, what would Sunpaw think? Suddenly, the thought of being dead slammed into her, making her stumble. What about her kin and friends? Her clanmates? Kestrelpaw had taken all of that away from her!

Newfound hatred coursed through her. "I'm going to make you miserable," She growled.

OoO

When the lights go out and we open our eyes

Out there in the silence I'll be gone.

Let the sun fade out and another one rise

Climbing through tomorrow I'll be gone, I'll be gone.

OoO

Frostpaw had spent most of her time in the living world terrorizing and making Kestrelpaw paranoid. She'd relished making the tom who'd killed her miserable. Though she had to stop for a moment to watch her clanmates discover her dead body.

She'd been dismayed when she had to go back to the cave. Her time was up. She'd have to come again tomorrow.

As she and the others were lead back into the realm of the dead, Frostpaw noticed that Sunpaw was leaning against Kestrelpaw, quietly speaking to him.

Her vision and senses were dulling, but she managed to hear Sunpaw say something, while Frostpaw's funeral was in procession. The elders carried her body out, to be buried. Her eyes widened when she heard what her friend said.

"Oh no...no..." Then everything went black.

"Welcome back!" Frostpaw blinked, and she was in the cave again.

She jumped. It was the tortoiseshell she'd met when she'd first come to the large cave. 'Squad Three'.

"Sorry I never introduced myself." The tortoiseshell apologized. "Here, follow me. We can talk away from the Authorities. They're busy."

Frostpaw nodded numbly.

"Hey, you okay?" The she-cat blinked. "Mouse-brained question." She led Frostpaw up the cave, to another level. They sat down, and she introduced herself. "My name is Sparrowstar-"

Frostpaw's eyes widened. "Woah! Sparrowstar? The third leader of LeafClan?! Er, Squad Three!" For a moment she forgot about Sunpaw. "I'm honored. My name is Frostpaw!"

Sparrowstar's eyes softened. "I'm sorry you died so young..." She murmured. "Well, how about we become friends for now? You need a guide anyways. I've been here for quite a while, and not all cats here are friendly."

Frostpaw nodded. Her paws began to tremble.

"Aw, poor thing!" Sparrowstar rested her tail on Frostpaw's shoulder. "What's wrong? You must be in shock, right? I remember I was when I died."

"N-no, not that." Frostpaw answered quietly. She began to feel a little better. She needed to tell someone what had happened. She felt like that would get a lot off her shoulders. "My friend...well, she had a crush on the tom who'd killed me."

Sparrowstar sighed. "That's always the worst."

"And...I heard her say something..." Frostpaw couldn't resist, and she buried her muzzle in the ancient leader's fur. Sparrowstar began to purr, comforting her. "She helped kill me!"

The leader pressed against her, like a mother protecting her kit.

"Shh..." Sparrowstar murmured. "You'll be okay. I know you'll find peace. They're young. You have time."

OoO

The next day she went through to the world of the living, Frostpaw went to visit Sunpaw. "Why?" She wondered. "Why would you want to kill your best friend?" But she already knew the answer. The terrible truth.

She knew it as she watched Sunpaw share a meal with Kestrelpaw. She knew exactly why, as they shared tongues, as they slept together.

Frostpaw still hadn't been able to figure out what she had to do to find peace, and completely pass on to StarClan. And after learning the truth about Sunpaw, she was sure it would be even more difficult. Was revenge what she really needed? What she wanted?

She didn't do anything but watch Kestrelpaw and Sunpaw during her time in the living world. She was completely stuck.

Frostpaw looked up at the sky, and she sighed. The sun was lowering. She and the others in her group would have to leave before sunset, to allow another group in.

Then an idea flashed in her mind. It was worth a shot, but she could only do it once. Frostpaw glanced up again, her heart pounding in her chest. She had little time left, so she rushed off.

The white-furred apprentice ran for her life, hoping she could reach her grave in time. Her paws moved quickly, carrying her across the ground faster than the wind. Frostpaw skidded to a halt as she reached where she had been buried.

She began to desperately dig, knocking small bits of dirt away. "Mouse-dung!" That wouldn't work...Frostpaw looked around wildly, knowing she had to think quick.

She spotted the medicine cat, Hawkwing, and newfound hope flowed through her. She made as much noise as possible, attracting the tom's attention. The medicine cat perked his ears up, looking confused and startled.

Frostpaw asserted his attention to her grave, and he slowly approached it. She remembered the one mistake Grasspaw and Kestrelpaw had made; when they'd come back to camp after murdering her, they had stunk of wild onion and mud.

She hoped their tainted onion scent still lingered. Hawkwing was intuitive, and she knew he'd figure it out. Frostpaw almost collapsed with relief when she saw that his fur had fluffed up. He'd caught the scent. He spun around, racing back to camp.

"Time to go back!" She heard a ringing yowl and turned around. Frostpaw gasped when she realized that her paws could touch the ground. She stopped, her eyes widening in confusion.

Then she sprinted toward the yowl, knowing that she needed to leave the world of the living. Frostpaw shot past the trees and shrubs, finding new speed in her legs. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her back; she could move so much easier, and the subconscious feeling of burden, grief and death vanished.

As she reached the others, she realized what had happened.

Peace, at last.

OoO

Frostpaw made back into the world of Haunts, and Littlefrost met up with her. "Follow me," She said briskly. There was a sharpness in her voice as she led the apprentice out of the crowd.

"Wh-where are we going?" Frostpaw asked, confused.

"To StarClan. You're lucky; you've found peace, so you can pass on now." The she-cat growled. "It was quick, wasn't it? Aren't you glad?"

"Why're you angry?" Frostpaw asked.

"Not all of us can find peace so easily, kit!" The white apprentice flinched. "I've been here for seasons! I don't even take part in the patrols going out into the living world. There are so many others who are stuck here because they were too late." Littlefrost huffed. "Let's go."

She led Frostpaw to a tunnel that curved downward. She thought she saw light at the end..."So that's how you get to StarClan? Why don't you come with?"

"It won't allow me. I can't move forward. There is something pushing me back. You, though, can." The she-cat snarled. "So go on already! Stop gloating!"

Frostpaw's eyes widened. What was with the sudden change of personality? She backed up, fear flickering across her face. "I-I can wait-"

"Don't torture me like this," Littlefrost's voice quavered. "You are so lucky to have been able to move on. Just go!" Her voice broke at the end.

Frostpaw swallowed. Something compelled her to go forward, into the tunnel. But as soon as she stepped in, she spun around. "Wait...that isn't fair!" Hysteria rose up inside of her. "What kind of system is that?! How can anyone go to StarClan or the Dark Forest if there are so many cats still stuck here, like you and Sparrowstar?!" She screeched. "Why can't you come with me? It just isn't fair!"

"No, it isn't." Littlefrost's eyes were cold with envy. "So don't act like you care." Then she turned around and padded away.

What was happening? Wasn't passing on supposed to be a good thing? Then why did Frostpaw feel so guilty and full of dread?

She tried to go after the white warrior, but realized that she couldn't exit the tunnel. "Fox-dung..." She turned her head away, her face shadowed. Frostpaw slowly made her way down the tunnel, not at all feeling the happiness and freedom she had before.

As she reached the end of the tunnel, she found herself in a colorful paradise. She saw cats hunting, sleeping, and talking, all of them enjoying themselves.

Frostpaw stared for a few moments, wanting to join these other cats. They looked so happy and carefree...but she couldn't.

Yet when she turned around to go back, the tunnel was nowhere to be seen. There was no going back.

As she stumbled forward, she felt a new burden being pressed onto her shoulders. This was no longer about Kestrelpaw and Sunpaw, getting revenge for her death, or passing on to StarClan. It was about the false paradise in front of her. She realized that she would have preferred the paradise she had when she was alive. She realized that she had not found peace.

She had only added another weight to her burden.

**E N D**


End file.
